With wildfire season already underway in Canada and indications pointing to a potentially challenging year following the record-breaking 2023 season, aerial firefighting teams are crucial in combating these large-scale blazes.
Alberta typically averages approximately 143 air tanker missions annually, but in 2023, that number skyrocketed to 502. Similarly, the British Columbia Wildfire Service, which normally conducts around 560 tanker missions in a typical season, flew 816 last year.
Conair, headquartered in Abbotsford, B.C., operates the world’s largest privately owned, fixed-wing aerial firefighting fleet, boasting over 90 pilots and 70 aircraft. They provide services to both Alberta and British Columbia, as well as Yukon and Alaska, through contracts for amphibious and land-based tankers and pilots.
Prior to deployment, pilots undergo comprehensive training involving ground, on-wing, and aerial simulation sessions at Conair’s headquarters in Abbotsford, B.C.
Ryan Gahan, fleet manager of air attack operations at Conair, emphasizes the importance of training to simulate real-life scenarios. Aerial assaults aim to cool down or contain the spread of fires, allowing ground crews to safely intervene.
However, attacking fires from the air requires meticulous coordination. The training mission witnessed by CBC News involved a Cessna aircraft, known as the “bird dog,” and a Dash 8-400 air tanker. The bird dog serves as the lead plane, directing the tanker’s flight path and drop location for the retardant or water.
Gahan demonstrates how the bird dog emits a smoke stream to indicate the target area for the retardant, typically a chemical compound designed to slow combustion. The tanker then approaches and releases its load onto the designated target.
While recreational aircraft maintain a safe distance, aerial firefighters can operate in close proximity.
“It’s mission-style flying, working together to accomplish a goal,” Gahan explains. He notes that conditions over a fire can change rapidly, with factors such as smoke, debris, and wind influencing the situation.
Typically, pilots require 3,000 to 4,000 hours of flying time before qualifying for firefighting training. Precision is paramount.
“You usually drop at 100 feet above the [tree] canopy,” Gahan says. “You want the retardant or the water to drop [and] lose all forward momentum, and then rain down on the trees. If you drop too high, you don’t get the accuracy.”
The increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires have led to a greater demand for aircraft. Conair has responded by converting Dash 8-400 passenger airliners into air tankers. Since the Dash 8-400 is no longer in production, Conair sources gently used aircraft from around the globe.
The company removes seats and installs a 10,000-liter tank on the exterior of the aircraft. Conair has accelerated its conversion process, moving from one conversion per year to one every 75 days, or five per year.
Jeff Berry, vice-president of business development at Conair, describes this initiative as “a Canadian success story,” as the refurbished aircraft utilize Pratt & Whitney engines and a De Havilland airframe.
“It’s extremely powerful,” Berry says of the Dash 8-400, which boasts two 5,000-plus horsepower turboprop engines and the ability to take off on shorter runways. “It really becomes a great fit for almost every aerial firefighting need in the world.”
